Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. DUNLAP.

GAR COUPLING. 1

7 No 535,684. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

WITNESSES: INVENTO I? ATTORNEYS.

TATES ATENT 1e;

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,684, dated March12, 1895.

Application filed August 15, 1 8 94.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM DUNLAP, of San Diego, in the county of SanDiego and State of California, have invented a new and useful ImprovedCar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplings of the twin jaw orJ anney type, and has for its objects to provide a very simple,practical and novel car coupling of the type indicated, which will beadapted to effect an automatic coupled engagement with a similarcoupling, be operative from the side of a car whereon it is located, torelease its latch block or knuckle, and afford convenient means forlinked connection with a disabled coupling, or one of the ordinary linkand pin style.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and combinationof parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views shown.

Figure l is a sectional side view of the drawhead and some interiorparts, on the line 11 in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a plan View of theforwardportion of the improved coupling in uncoupled adjustment. Fig. 3 is apartly sectional plan view of the improvement, on the line 33 in Fig. 1,and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of parts, on the line 4-4.in Fig. 2.

The drawhead 10, is preferably cast into form, comprising an elongatedrecessed metal piece, which is preferably made square in cross sectionof its body the major portion of its length, this part of the drawheadbeing recessed and mainly open on theupper side when produced, saidopening being closed by a cover plate 10 that is bolted or otherwisesecured to the walls of the drawhead body, as is indicated in Fig. 1, orthe drawhead maybe cast with all its walls intact if desired.

The front end portion of the drawhead is widened as is usual in thistype of car couplings, and is suitably chambered to afford a four walledcavity for the reception of the tail piece of the knuckle, which willpresently be described.

The top and lower parallel walls of the drawhead at the front areincurved, and at one side of the laterally enlarged front of the SerialNo. 520,380. (No model.)

drawhead a solid horn 10 is produced, the opposite side wall having twoparallel and prop- .erly spaced cars 10 formed integral with its top andlower walls, which ears are portions of the side wall also, and arestrongly fashioned to adapt them for efficient service.

The peculiarly formed knuckle piece is an essential and novel feature ofthe coupling, and as represented, consists of a metal block the latchinghead 11, of which is preferably given an outwardly curved upright faceat the front, that terminates in a shoulder or straightwall 11, which inservice affords a latch hook that interlocks with a similar shoulder ona mating knuckle when the parts are adjusted to effect such a lockedconnection. The tail piece 12, of the knuckle, extends nearly at a rightangle rearwardly from the latching shoulder 11, and it together with aportion of the head 11, is made of such a thickness, as will permit itto loosely fit between the parallel horizontal faces of the ears 10.

The ears on the drawhead, and the knuckle piece where it engages thelatter are perforated to receive a cylindrical pin or pivot bolt, and asshown in Fig. 4:, said bolt is composed, of two portions, the main part13, being fitted into the perforations of the ears 10 and the knucklehead, to afford a swing joint for the latter.

The upper ear of the drawhead, is counterbored in the pivot bolt hole tosuitably enlarge its diameter, and adapt it to receive an integralcollar 13 which is peripherally projected from the bolt body near itsupper end, said collar being seated on the bottom of the counterbore inthe perforation of the ear mentioned, when the partsof the coupling areassembled.

The head portion 14:, of the pivot bolt 13, is made of a sufficientdiameter to fit closely against the side wall of the counterbore, andhas a short cylindric hub axially projected from its lower side towardand nearly touch ing the top of the pivot bolt when the head piece isfully inserted.

A strong spiral spring 15, is mounted on the hub projection of the bolthead 14., and has its upper terminal firmly attached to said head, asufficient length being afforded the spring to permit its lower portionto encircle the part of the pivot bolt that extends above A groove orkey-way is vertically formed in the counterbore and the aligned smallerperforation in the upperear of the drawhead, and a similar groove isproduced in the wall I of the perforation in the knuckle piece, the

latter mentioned groove being vertically formed in the side of theperforation which is nearest to the tail piece 12, as shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2 at 12.

A spline or feather key 13 is longitudinally located on and is securedto project from the body of the pivot bolt 13, as indicated in Fig. 4;this key being made to interlock with the key groove or way 12, firstpassing down through the key groove in the upper car of the drawheadWhen the pivot bolt is inserted to locate it in the position representedin the figure last mentioned;

A locking toe lat is laterally formed on or secured to thehead piece 14of the pivot bolt, which toe will secure the head to the upper ear 10 ifit is caused to enter the groove in said ear.

If the pivot bolt 13, is introduced through the aligned perforations inthe ears and knuckle piece, interlocking the feather key 13 with theknuckle as has been explained, and the head piece 14, is partly rotatedso as to torsionally compress the spring 15, thereby bringing the toe14: opposite the key groove in the ear 10 the torsional force of thespring if free to do so, will throw the free end of the tail piece 12,forwardly, until itis arrested by the shoulder or abutment 1O on theinner surface of the horn 10 thereby disposing the tail piece across thedrawhead near the front, and moving the latching shoulder of the knuckleinto open adjustment.

In the elongated body of the drawhead 10, rearwardly of the tail pieceon the knuckle, a latch bar 16 is located. This piece which isrepresented in Figs. 1 and 3, comprises a metal billet which isrectangular in cross section, and is held to slide along one side wallof the recess in which it is placed by a vertical stud 17, or equivalentmeans.

The front end of the latch bar, is convexly sloped from the inner sideedge to adapt it'to slide easily over the similarly formed free end ofthe tail piece 12, that it is designed to engage with in service.

The latch bar is cut away from its lower edge at a proper distance fromthe ends of the bar, producing an open recess 16 of a suitable lengthand height to permit the free action in it of other parts, as will beexplained.

A guide rod 18 is projected rearwardly and in a plane parallel with thelower edge of the latch bar from the front terminal wall of the recessin said bar, as represented in Fig. 1. On the guide rod a spiral spring19 is loosely mounted, and has sucha proportionate length that its endswill have an enforced contact with the front shoulder of the recess 16and with the perforated upright lug 10 that is projected from the lowerwall of the drawhead, and affords support to the guide rod which entersthe perforation of said lug and in operation reciprocates in the latter.

A sufficient extent of height and length is given to the recess in thelatch bar 16, rearwardly of the lug 10 to permit the correct adjustmentof a retracting device for the latch bar, which bar is forwardlyprojected by the spring 15, until checked by an ear on its sideimpinging'the stud 17, or by any other suitable means.

The retracting device for the side bar comprises a cam block 20, that issecured on a shaft 21, the latter being journaled in the Walls of thedrawhead and extended sufficiently at one side, to permit the crankhandle'22 that is affixed on the outer end of the shaft, to be locatednear the side of a car frame Whereon the coupling is located. The camblock is so relatively placed, that it Will occupy the recess in thelatch bar 16, rearwardly ofethe free end of the guide rod 18, and hassuch a projection from the shaft 21, that when the latter is rocked soas to move the cam block toward the lug 10 as indicated by the dottedcurved arrow 1, in the Fig. 1, the rounded toe of the cam block willabut upon the rear end of the rod, and prevent its rearward slidingmovement, which will also lock the latch bar from rearward movement. Thecam block when vertically adjusted in the recess of the latch bar, asshown by full lines in Fig. 1, will permit the free reciprocation of thelatch bar 16, and when the block is so adjusted, the crank handle 22,should hang pendent, which will adapt its weight to maintain the camblock in a vertical position, free to be moved as occasion may require.

The position of the rock shaft 21, with regard to the spring pressedlatch bar 16, is such as will locate the upright cam block 20, near tothe rear terminal wall of the recess in the latch bar, thereby enablingthe rearward sliding movement of the bar 16, to be effected,- if therock shaft is rocked so as to move the rounded free end of the cam blocktoward and against the rear wall of the recess in said bar, asrepresented by dotted lines and the curved arrow 2, in Fig. 1, therelative position of the crank handle 22, when the cam block is inforward or rearward adjustment being respectively represented by fulland dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The drawhead 10, is furnished with an up wardly projected heavy flangeon its upper wall near the front, and at or near the transverse centerof said strengthening flange two forwardly projected ears 10 are formedthat are vertically perforated in alignment to receive a common couplingpin, for a coupled connection of the drawhead and car on which it issecured, with a car having an ordinary link and pin coupling, or with asimilar improved car coupling that may have been disabled by anaccident.

IIO

(In l There is a link receiving cavity formed in the tail piece 12, ofthe knuckle, from the front edge, as represented by dotted lines in Fig.2, at 12 and the tail piece is perforated to aperture both walls of saidcavity at a proper. point for the reception of a coupling pin, the useof this provision being similar to that of the spaced perforated ears 10so that whenever required, the improved oar coupling may be temporarilyconverted into a common link and pin coupling.

In operation, the approach of two cars having the improved carcouplings, so as to cause their knuckle heads to pass while in openadjustment, will adapt said heads to impinge the transversely disposedtail pieces of the knuckles, and rock them rearwardly, the rear ends ofthe parts 12 being thus forcibly impinged on the front ends of the latchbars 16, push the latter rearwardly far enough to allow the tail piecesto assume the position indicated in Fig. 3, the expansion of the springs15, then forwardly moving the latch bars so as to lock the knuckles in acoupled condition, their release being produced by a manipulation of thehandle 22, as before explained.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a car coupling, the combination of a recesseddrawhead, a knuckle-piece pivotally mounted therein and adapted to beturned on its pivot during the coupling operation, a slide bar arrangedin the recess of the drawhead back of the knuckle-piece and in positidnto engage and hold-the same when the knuckle-piece is turned, said slidebar having a recess formed in its under side, a perforated lug formed onthe drawhead in position to take into said recess, a guide rod mountedon the slide bar and extending through the perforation in said lug, aspring arranged on the guide rod between the lug and the end of therecess in the slide bar, a rock shaft jonrnaled on the drawhead and anarm on said shaft projecting into the recess in the slide bar andadapted to bear against the end thereof opposite to the spring on theguide rod, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car coupling, substantially as described, the knuckle having atail piece that is recessed in the front edge and perforated in thewalls of said recess to receive a coupling link and pin.

3. In a car coupling, substantially as described, the pivot bolt for theknuckle piece having a loose head piece, a spring connec tionbetween thehead piece and bolt body, means to lock the bolt body in the knuckle,and means to secure the head piece in the drawhead.

4. In a car coupling, substantially as described, the combination Withthe drawhead ears, and knuckle piece, the ears and the knuckle pieceperforated in alignment and the upper ear counterbored, of a pivot boltadapted to be locked in the knuckle piece, a loose head piece for saidbolt, a torsion spring fast by its ends to the bolt and head piece, andmeans to lock the head piece to the upper ear and hold the spring undertorsional strain, substantially as described.

WILLIAM DUNLAP.

Witnesses WM. HILTS, E. W. NEWKIRK.

